Priming device for starting engines



June 9, 1953 1. LEVINE PRIMING DEVICE FOR STARTING ENGINES Filed March20, 1952 INVENTOR IRVING LEVINE ATTORNEY Patented June 9, 1953 UNITEDSTATES iATENT OFFICE 12,641,240 PRIMINGDEVICE FOR STARTING ENGINESIrving Levine, Jersey City, N. J.

Application MarchZO, 1952, Serial'No. 277,629

4 Claims 123-1875) This invention relates to a priming device forstarting engines and has for an object to provide an improved means ofpriming an engine such as the internal combustion engine of a vehicle orotherwise by making it possible for the engin as the starting iscommenced to draw in a supply of a highly volatile and explosive fluidwhich has been kept in a sealed vial until just when the engine is readyto be'started.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mechanism arranged tobe permanently attached and connected to the combustion space of theengine as by being connected to the intake manifold, either of the airor of the fuel supply whereby a sealed vial may be attached thereto andhave its seal penetrated and be automatically connected to a passagewayto the engine space'by the very act of placing the sealed vial in themechanism, whereupon as soon as the engine is turned over to start it,it will draw in the highly volatile exposivefluid from the sealed vialand thus prime its starting.

A further object of this invention is to provide a priming mechanismwhich may be readily and permanently attached and connected to anyinternal combustion engine ready to receive asealed vial of primingfluid whenever desired, and which, has a port connecting to the enginewhile the vial is in place, which port is automatically closed off bythe act of removing the exhausted vial from the mechanism.

A further object of this invention i to provide a priming device forstarting engines'which consists of a means for holding a previouslysealed vial connected to a port leading therefrom'to the enginecombustion space which port will connect only from the inside of thevial to the engine space, and which port will be sealed off by the actof removing the vial from its position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a priming device forstarting engines which is simplier' and much more emcient'than thatshown in previous U. S. Patents 1,446,850; 1,526,838; and 2,485,423; inthat a charge of priming fluid sufii'cient for priming the engine iskept a sealed vial until ready for use, as a. result of which thepriming fluid is not apt to go stale through premature evaporation ofthe more highly volatile parts thereof.

Still a. further object of. this invention is to provide a primingdevice for automobile engines which cooperates with a sealed vial ofpriming fluid, as a result of which, a supply of scaled vials oi primingfluid may be kept about the en.- gi'ne until needed for use with theassurance that the priming fluid within the sealed vial will not becomestale before it is'ready for use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprisesthe combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter setforth, claimed and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the priming device of this inventionwhen in operative position.

Fig. *2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 partly broken away, being in line2- 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a vialin operative position.

Fig. i is a view on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the reciprocable iston.

There is shown at ID the priming device of this invention arranged forconnecting to the intake manifold or engin part II which is connected tothe engine combustion space. A nipple I2 threaded into the primingdevice body part I3 at one end and into the engine part IIv at the otherend serves to secure priming device in operative position and also toconnect an outlet port I4 leading through the nipple 2 at one end andterminating in a piston passageway I 5 at its other end.

'Reciproc-ably movable within this passageway is a piston I '6 having afluid port I'I extending therethrough and aligning with the body outletport 'I l when the piston I5 is at one end of its passageway I 5'. Whenat the end of the passageway I5, the movement of the piston I6 isyieldably resisted by mean of a coil spring I8 one end of which iscountersunk within a wellformed in the end of the piston It and theother end of the spring I8 bears against a plate 2! secured by studs 22to the end of the body part I3 and providing a stop limiting themovement of the piston It in this direction. To assure that the pistonport I"! will align with the body outlet port I4, the piston I6 is heldnon-rotatably within its piston assageway I5 as by means of acooperating integrally formed spline and keyway 23' formed onthe pistonI6 and piston passageway I5.

To also assure that the piston It will pass its port side having thefluid port I! against the. body outlet port I I and thus act as acut-off sealed valve when the parts are not in alignment, a spring 24and ball 25 are countersunk within the side of the piston I'6 oppositefrom its port side thus yieldably urging the piston toward its portside. A plate 26 secured to the bottom of the body part I3 by similarstud 22 limits the downward movement of the piston It. This plate 28 isprovided with an aperture 2'! through which a sealed vial 28 may beinserted, and the bottom of the piston I6 is provided with a small well30 of a size to receive the top end of the fluid vial 28 therein. Asmall air lock releasing groove 3| along one edge of the well 30 to itsupper end as shown provides for easy insertion and removal of the top ofthe vial 28. Connected to the fluid port I1 and extending through thecenter of the well 30 in the bottom of piston I6 is a sharpened hollowneedle 32 similar to a hy odermic needle and arranged to penetratesealed top 33 of the vial 28 when the vial 28 is pressed thereagainst.Pivotally supported on opposite sides of the body part [3 as by studs 34is a U-shaped stirrup 35 provided with a vial end cooperating ribs 36 sothat when the vial 28 has had its top 33 pressed over the needle 32 andthen pushed inwardly so as to push the piston 16 against its spring 18to its limit against the stopping plate 2 I, the stirrup 35 may bepivoted under the vial 28 and hold the vial 28 in position.

With the vial 28 held in this position, the fluid passage I! from thehollow needle 32 is in alignment with the body outlet port 14 leadingthrough the nipple l2 to the engine combustion space connected to theengine part I I.

Then, as soon as the engine is turned over by means of an engine starteror crank as conventional, suction in the engine will then draw out thehighly volatile priming fluid such as ether, high octane gasoline, orthe like, which has been kept fresh and sealed within the vial 28 untilthe vial 28 has been placed in cooperative position in the primingdevice of this invention. The engine will then usually start veryreadily with this highly exposive fluid therein at its first fewrevolutions and the fluid from the vial 28 being limited in amount willbe quickly exhausted and the engine may then continue runningthereafter.

The empty vial 28 may be left in position without interfering with theoperation of the engine until some convenient time, possibly until theengine has been stopped, whereupon the vial may be removed, if desired,or may be left in place. If the vial is, removed, the spring l8 movesthe piston l6 back to its bottom position sealing off the body outletport l4, which sealing action is assisted by the presence of the spring24, and ball 25 at its opposite side. Then, when it is necessary tostart the cold engine again, the new vial 28 may be put in position andthe process repeated.

Obviously, with the highly volatile priming fluid kept sealed in aseries of vials 28, the fluid will always remain fresh and notdeteriorate through loss of its most highly volatile and evaporativeportions as is customary with other types of priming devices wherein thefluid is stored in containers wherein only a part of the stored fluid isused for each priming or starting action.

With this invention, a fresh supply of sealed priming fluid is usedevery time, thus insuring the successful operation thereof.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail,it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as beinglimited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail andconstruction may be mad therein within the scope of what is claimed,without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature :of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A priming device for starting an engine comprising in combination abody part, an outlet port, means for connecting said outlet port to thecombustion space of the engine, a piston passageway within said bodypart connected to said outlet port, a piston reciprocably andnon-rotatably movable within said piston passageway, means at each endof said passageway limiting the movement of said reciprocable piston,means yieldably resisting the approach of said piston to one end of saidpassageway, a fluid port extending through said piston, one end of saidfluid port being aligned with said body outlet port when said piston isat said end of its passage against said yieldably resisting-means, meanurging said piston against the piston passageway side through which theoutlet port extends, a vial penetrating hollow needle connected to theother end of said piston fluid port at the end of said "piston oppositefrom the yieldably resisted end,

a vial receiving opening through the adjacent piston movement limitingmeans, an air-lock releasing groove in one side of said vial endreceiving depression in said piston end, and a vial supporting stirruppivoted to said body part over said vial receiving end, whereby a sealedvial of primmg fluid may be pressed over said needle end to move saidpiston against its opposite end and align its fluid port with said portoutlet, and then be held in such position by pivoting said supportingstirrup thereunder, whereby the priming fluid in the vial may be drawntherefrom into the engine as the engine is started.

2. A priming device for starting an engine comprising in combination abody part, an outlet port, means for connecting said outlet port to thecombustion space of the engine, a piston passageway within said bodypart connected to said outlet port, a piston reciprocably andnon-rotatably movable within said piston passageway, means at each endof said passageway limiting the movement of said reciprocable piston,means yieldably resisting the approach of said piston to one end of saidpassageway, a fluid port extending through said piston, one end of saidfluid port being aligned with said body outlet port when said piston isat said end of its passage against said yieldably resisting means, meansurging said piston against the piston passageway side through which theoutlet port extends, a vital penetrating hollow needle connected to theother end of said piston fluid port at the end of said pistonoppositefrom the yieldably resisted end, a vial receiving openingthrough the adjacent piston movement limiting means, and a vialsupporting stirrup pivoted to said body part over said vial receivingend, whereby a sealed vial of priming fluid may be pressed over saidneedle end to move said piston against its opposite nd and align itsfluid port with said port outlet, and then be held in such position bypivoting said supporting stirrup thereunder, whereby the priming fluidin the vial may be drawn therefrom into the engine as the engine isstarted.

3. A primary device for starting an engine comprising in combination abody part, an out let port, means for connecting said outlet port to thecombustion space of the engine, a piston passageway within said bodypart connected to said outlet port, a piston reciprocably andnonrotatably movable within said piston passageway, means at each end ofsaid passageway limiting the movement of said reciprocable piston, meansyieldably resisting the approach of said piston to one end of saidpassageway, a fluid port extending through said piston, one end of saidfluid port being aligned with said body outlet port when said piston isat said end of its passage against said yieldably resisting means, avial penetrating hollow needle connected to the other end of said pistonfluid port at the end of said piston opposite from the yieldablyresisted end, a vial end receiving depression in said piston end aboutsaid port needle, a vial receiving opening through the adjacent pistonmovement limiting means, an air-lock releasing groove in one side ofsaid vial end receiving depression in said piston end, and a vialsupporting stirrup pivoted to said body part over said vialreceivingend, whereby a sealed vial of priming fluid may be pressed oversaid needle end to move said piston against its opposite end and alignits fluid port with said port outlet, and then be held in such positionby pivoting said supporting stirrup thereunder, whereby the primingfluid in the vial may be drawn therefrom into the engine as the engineis started.

4. A priming device for starting an engine comprising in combination abody part, an outlet port, means for connecting said outlet port to thecombustion space of the engine, a' piston passageway within said bodypart connected to said outlet port, a piston reciprocably andnonrotatably movable within said piston passageway, means at each end ofsaid passageway limiting the movement of said reciprocable piston. meansyieldably resisting the approach of said piston to one end of saidpassageway, a fluid port extending through said piston, one end of saidfluid port being aligned with said body outlet port when said piston isat said end of its passage against said yieldably resisting means, meansurging said piston against the piston passageway side through which theoutlet port extends, a vial penetrating hollow needle connected to theother end of said piston fluid port at the end or said piston oppositefrom the yieldably resisted end, a vial end receiving depression in saidpiston end about said port needle, a vial receiving opening through theadjacent piston movement limiting means, an air-lock releasing groove inone side of said vial end receiving depression in said piston end, and avial supporting stirrup pivoted to said body part over said vialreceiving end, whereby a sealed vial of priming fluid may be pressedover said needle end to move said piston against its opposite end andalign its fluid port with said port outlet, and then be held in suchposition by pivoting said supporting stirrup thereunder, whereby thepriming fluid in the vial may be drawn therefrom into the engine as theengine is started.

IRVING LEVINE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,092,685 Viel Sept. '7, 1937 2,364,356 Greathouse Dec. 5,1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,252 Great Britain Jan. 28,1913 160,075 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1921

